Complaints Procedure
We are committed to providing high-quality legal services. If you are not satisfied, we want to hear from you.
Our Commitment
At Safe Harbour Legal, we strive to provide excellent service. If you feel we have not met your expectations, we take your concerns seriously and will work to resolve them promptly and fairly.
Step 1: Contact Safe Harbour Legal
In the first instance, please raise your complaint directly with Aaron Johnson:
Please include as much detail as possible about your complaint, including:
- What happened (or didn't happen)
- When it occurred
- Who was involved
- What outcome you are seeking
What Happens Next
1. Acknowledgment
We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and provide you with a copy of this complaints procedure.
2. Investigation
We will investigate your complaint thoroughly. This may involve reviewing your file and speaking with the relevant team members.
3. Response
We aim to provide a full written response within 8 weeks of receiving your complaint. If we need more time, we will keep you informed.
Step 2: Escalate to Legal Studio Solicitors
If you are not satisfied with Aaron's response, or if you would prefer to escalate your complaint, you may contact Legal Studio Solicitors directly:
Ian McCann — Solicitor & CEO
Legal Studio Solicitors have eight weeks to consider your complaint. Making a complaint will not affect how your case is handled, nor will you be charged for the investigation.
Step 3: The Legal Ombudsman
If your complaint has not been resolved through the internal process (Steps 1 and 2), or if eight weeks have passed since you first complained, you may refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.
Legal Ombudsman
The Legal Ombudsman is an independent body that investigates complaints about legal services. They can help resolve disputes between clients and solicitors.
Website: legalombudsman.org.uk
Phone: 0300 555 0333
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Address: PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH
You must refer your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within 6 months of receiving a final written response. The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made within 1 year of the act or omission about which you are complaining, or within 1 year of when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint.
Step 4: Reporting Concerns About Professional Conduct
The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints about poor service. If you have concerns about our professional conduct or behaviour (for example, dishonesty, a serious breach of the SRA Standards and Regulations, or a failure to act with integrity), you can report these directly to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
Solicitors Regulation Authority
The SRA can investigate professional misconduct but cannot award compensation or deal with complaints about poor service — those should be directed to the Legal Ombudsman.
Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) is a process where an independent body considers the facts of a dispute and seeks to resolve it without going to court. The Legal Ombudsman is the ADR entity approved for complaints about legal services in England and Wales. We are willing to consider ADR as a means of resolving complaints where appropriate.
Time Limits
You should raise any concerns with us as soon as possible so that we can address them promptly. We will consider complaints made at any time, but please be aware of the following external time limits:
- Legal Ombudsman: You must refer your complaint within 6 months of our final written response, and within 1 year of the act or omission (or 1 year of when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint)
- SRA: There is no fixed time limit for reporting professional misconduct, but earlier reporting is encouraged
No Charge
There is no charge for making a complaint or for our investigation. The Legal Ombudsman service is also free to use.